


Memory Moon

by Lunarcentric



Series: Mooniverse [2]
Category: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch, Metal Fight Beyblade | Beyblade: Metal Fusion
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Gen, Multi, Multiple Crossovers, OCs - Freeform, Other, World lore, headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2018-12-14 01:03:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11772231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarcentric/pseuds/Lunarcentric
Summary: Short stories about Mooniverse character backstories and insight on what's happened to them in their lives.Also may include world lore, Q&A, or non-character specific events.DISCONTINUED





	1. Mingzhu's Lament

**Author's Note:**

> Another Moon thing yay  
> So basically this stuff's gonna be a bunch of little backstory bits about Mooniverse characters. First up is Melodia's mom, Mingzhu, after the death of her twin sister Jiao.  
> I have a number of these planned but not written yet. They'll slowly come up as they stop being spoilers, usually.

Standing at the outskirts of the village, Mingzhu let out a shuddering sob, wiping her tears on her white sleeve. Knowing that if she were to let her deeper emotions out with her family and friends they could be hurt, she'd crept out after the sun had set, careful not to wake her younger children. Max had been awake and he'd seen her go, but he'd said nothing, knowing what it was she was going to do and why she needed to do it.

Mingzhu reached for the magic of her Pearl Tear. Through the years she had learned that it was not only pure and light songs that it amplified, but darker ones as well. One had to be careful with the emotions they let drive them when using its power.

Her heart was broken. Her heart was shattered and lost in the wind, only a sliver remaining – Max. Her children. First she had lost Tsukasa, and Mizue – gone without a word. Four years later, that wound was now opened anew as another sibling was gone, this time with no chance of returning.

She shrieked. While her younger siblings' departure had torn her, she could still sense their magic pulsing through the Pearl Tear. As long as they lived, she would know, and she would feel their connection to the Tear, however weak it was. She knew Mizue could one day _maybe_ find the strength to hold a Tear, and while Tsukasa simply didn't have the magic his sisters had been born capable of, he was gifted in many other regards.

Jiao was different.

Jiao _had been_ different.

In some way or another, the Purple Tear had stopped receiving signals from its Indigo sister. They could find no body, no hints, no information of any kind, but what had happened was clear: In her death, shrouded in mystery, Jiao's connection to the Indigo Tear had been severed. It had fallen into slumber, its bond with the Purple Tear turning cold and empty. Just like their predecessors, the Pearl Tear Curse had claimed another victim. Just like the twin of her Tear had turned to slumber, she had lost her own twin to a sleep that one couldn't wake up from.

Releasing another shriek of pain and desperation, Mingzhu wished for the thousandth time that her younger siblings were here. She wanted so much to give Mizue the Indigo Tear and help her learn the magic it held, but both were gone – Mizue to some adventure with their brother, and the Tear to wherever its former princess had met her fate. There was no telling when either would resurface in Mingzhu's life, or if they would at all.

She'd lost too much. She was strong, but right now she felt shaken, and she had to let it out. She'd seen angry elders, both in kingdoms and in this village, and she would not bottle her feelings like they had and follow their path.

The magic she'd been weaving through her Tear finally settled. Her love, firm and faithful, would anchor her. She had lost many, but still had many to care for. With this spell she would not forget that, and she would not be lost to the song she had to release.

Though she rarely sung outside her native Chinese, she chose now to use the language Jiao favored. Letting the natural magic of the Tear take hold, she let the music take over, and spilled her feelings out, all the pain and sorrow that was attempting to bury her.

_“I couldn't take it, couldn't stand another minute;_  
_Couldn't bear another day without you in it_  
_All of the joy that I had known for all my life_  
_Was stripped away from me the minute that you died”_

_“To have you in my life was all I ever wanted_  
_But now without you, I'm a soul forever haunted_  
_Can't help but feel that I had taken you for granted;_  
_No way in Hell that I can ever comprehend this!”_

The darkness of her song caused a wave of negative energy that she directed towards the wilderness before her, far away from the people waiting for her at home. The angry power still swarmed around her, but she put its focus to the same direction, where it would harmlessly dissipate with only the cost of possibly a new pond bed.

_“I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone_  
_I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong_  
_How could you leave me when you swore that you would stay?_  
_Now I'm trapped inside a nightmare every single eff'ing day”_

_“It's like a movie, but there's not a happy ending;_  
_Every scene fades black, and there's no pretending_  
_This little fairy tale doesn't seem to end well_  
_There's no knight in shining armor who will wake me from the spell”_

She was angry. Not at herself, not at the world at large, but at Jiao. Jiao had left her and left a hole that she'd never be able to fill. The cold spot where the Indigo Tear's bond, Jiao's bond, had been was nothing but torture. She was furious with Jiao, but all the same she knew her sister, and she knew that it couldn't have been her fault. Whatever had happened was more than likely a natural accident that had been out of Jiao's control.

_“I know you didn't plan this;_  
_You tried to do what's right_  
_But in the middle of this madness_  
_I'm the one you left to win this fight”_

_“Red like roses_  
_Fills my head with dreams and finds me_  
_Always closer_  
_To the emptiness and sadness_  
_That has come to take the place of you”_

Mingzhu collapsed with a wail, the finale of negative power drilling holes all over the clearing before her. Gasping for air, she let her Tear and anchor bring her back to herself, replenishing the energy she had so angrily spent.

For a long while, she stayed there, loosely curled into a ball on the ground. Every so often she'd take another gasp of air, gain another wave of energy.

Eventually, Mingzhu heard footsteps. Too tired to move, she let whoever it was approach her. When they were in front of her, they knelt down, and Jian, her sister's husband, had a look of misery that surely mirrored her own.

He said nothing, only settled himself down and sat with her as the night grew darker. When Mingzhu was capable of moving again, he helped her stand, and they shared a long, wistful embrace, sharing the pain of their loss.

Mingzhu was still too weak to walk, so Jian supported her, and they returned to the village together. She collapsed in Max's arms, sobbing, and he held her until she'd cried herself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Red Like Roses Part II" by Jeff Williams, from RWBY
> 
> This story and everything associated with it can be found on our deviantART accounts and Tumblr account.
> 
> My friend's account, where story related drawings are all going to be: http://among-the-stars-3.deviantart.com/  
> Our Tumblr, because we had nothing better to do with our time: http://mooniversenews.tumblr.com/


	2. Kyoya's Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some edits were made to this so that it would match with the edits coming to the overall story.

“I got a letter from home the other day,” eleven-year-old Kyoya confessed.

Melodia, his adoptive sister – never mind the fact that she'd found her birth family the year before – looked up expectantly. “You did? Why didn't you say something before?”

Just looking at her smile seemed to hurt right now. Kyoya turned his gaze away. “It's...not good news... My father wants us to come back. Right away.”

“...Why?” Melodia stopped walking, forcing him to do the same to continue the conversation. He wasn't sure how to tell her, so he dug the crumpled letter from his pocket and shoved it at her. As she read it, he shut his eyes, not wanting to see when her expression shifted.

He heard her gasp. “K-Kimiko's missing?! What...he doesn't even say what happened! That's it, that's all we get?!”

“Read the rest,” he said quietly. As she did so, the words sprung back up in his head.

_Your sister is missing. By the time you receive this letter, it will have been approximately one week. There is so far no trace of what happened. Return immediately, but be cautious. Any of you could follow, and Melodia may not be excluded. If possible, have her return as well. There is no need to alert her family as of yet._

_Kakeru was with her when it occurred. He has been unable to speak – whether out of worry or threat, I do not know. He is fond of you both. Perhaps you can convince him to speak._

“So,” he asked, “what do you wanna do?”

He heard the paper crinkle in her hands. “Go book the flight. I'll let everyone know we're leaving.”

Kyoya nodded, heading forward while she turned around and returned to the gym.

* * *

“Megumi, you didn't have to come,” Melodia insisted as their friend shoved her way into the airport with them.

“Yes I did,” the girl said firmly. Though Kyoya refused to look up, he could feel Megumi's eyes staring at him. “I'll rally the ghosts all over the country if I have to. We'll find her. Whatever it takes, we'll find your sister.”

He grunted, unable to find the right words to thank her.

* * *

Melodia held Kakeru comfortingly, sitting quietly with him on his bed. The nine-year-old hadn't left her or Kyoya alone since their arrival, but hadn't said a word. No matter what Kyoya tried, he couldn't coax anything out.

Melodia had asked for a chance to try, so she'd taken his spot on Kakeru's bed. So far she hadn't done anything but sit there and hold the boy, but Kyoya held back his complaints. He didn't understand her as much as he used to, since she'd met her birth family, but he could tell she had something in mind. He just didn't know what.

He definitely didn't expect her to start singing.

He didn't expect the way her the music spun itself out of nothing, or the way her words filled the room and lit it up with hope and reassurance. He didn't expect the wave of calm that overtook him, or how Kakeru slowly stopped clinging to their adoptive sister like she'd disappear at any moment.

“What happened?” Melodia asked gently.

Kyoya watched as Kakeru finally responded to her voice and looked up. He listened as Kakeru spoke for the first time in a week.

Kakeru told them of how, walking home, an orange light had appeared and swallowed Kimiko up. He told them how he thought the light had been laughing.

A strange, confused look passed over Melodia's face, but she couldn't offer any explanation. She held Kakeru for a bit longer, humming until the scared, exhausted boy fell asleep on her.

Kyoya wanted to be angry, but something was stopping him. It wouldn't build up. Resigned for the moment, he sat with his remaining two siblings in confused silence.

An orange light. Laughter. It didn't make any sense.

He didn't really want it to. He just wanted his sister back.

* * *

The anger hit him the next day.

“It isn't fair!” Kyoya screamed, punching the wall of Kimiko's bedroom. _“Why?!_ She's only six years old!”

Standing behind him in the doorway, Kakeru surveyed once again the peaceful room – nothing was out of place, except for the missing occupant. He knew better than to approach his brother for the moment, but he felt his anger all the same. “Kyoya...”

Kyoya whirled around, the fiercest scowl Kakeru had ever seen taking over his face. The younger boy gasped, quickly stepping back, and retreated when his brother snarled, _“Leave!”_

Moments after Kakeru was gone, Kyoya turned and punched the wall a second time, shaking as angry tears built up in his eyes. His raging roar echoed through the house, before he slumped to the floor, fists clenched, eyes shut.

“It should've been me,” he whispered hoarsely to the silent room. “It should've taken me.”

It didn't matter what it was. Magic, spirits, some invisible creature – something had taken his sister.

Something was going to pay.

* * *

Kyoya sat in the darkness of his hospital room, bandages covering the top half of his face, his curtains closed against the light of the moon.

Kimiko had now been gone for a month. The first week he and Melodia had been back, he'd caused havoc for everyone, screaming endlessly at not only the servants but at his brother, his father, even Melodia. It got to the point where she didn't even try calming him anymore. No amount of magic singing would help him; she just started avoiding him.

After that, he'd quieted down. He'd taken the habit of seeing Kakeru as much as he could, checking on him during school and even walking him home, regardless of the scoldings he got from his private tutors for skipping lessons. He'd apologized to Melodia and allowed her to sing to him. He'd lost one sibling. He wasn't going to lose the others.

Even so, he couldn't prevent every accident.

He, Melodia, and Kakeru had been walking together, detouring on their way home to grab the younger boy some ice cream as a reward for acing a particularly important test. Kakeru was going on and on about how he couldn't decide what flavor he wanted to get, and didn't notice the construction wires dropping towards them until Melodia screamed and Kyoya grabbed him.

He didn't remember much after that. Pain, mostly, and Kakeru's panicked voice, then nothing. He'd come to a bit while being pushed down a hallway, his vision red and blurry, but he'd passed out again moments later.

When he finally awoke, his face was covered. He couldn't see. The doctors said something about his eyes, but he didn't care. It didn't matter what they said, unless it was that Kakeru and Melodia were unharmed.

They assured him his brother was fine. Nothing but a few scratches. Melodia was admitted as well, for treatment on a bloody gash across her leg, but would recover just fine. He stopped listening to them after that.

It had been too late for visitors, so Kyoya had been left alone for the night. His brother would come tomorrow, he was sure, probably sneaking in some sort of treat for him.

What he wished was by his side right now, though, was Leone.

Rock Leone, his bey. The family bey. His father's bey. Handed down for generations, now his to use until the day he handed it down to his own firstborn child. Rock Leone was a symbol of the Tategami family.

It was his friend.

With Leone at his side, he never felt weak, never felt helpless. He felt as strong as – no, stronger than even his father ever was. Kyoya was the firstborn child of his generation. The heir to the Tategami business. People expected things from him. He expected things from himself.

“They're okay,” he murmured to himself, as he had done countless times that night. Kakeru was alright. Melodia would be alright. That was all that mattered to him.

Kyoya's family was his spirit, his pride. Nothing mattered more to him, not even beyblade. As the firstborn child, it was his duty to lead the family when his father passed, and he held this fact close, held his family close.

He had already failed with Kimiko.

He couldn't protect her. He couldn't protect Kimiko, but he would damn well make sure that nothing happened to Kakeru or Melodia. That was his greatest wish.

He couldn't see the light through his bandages, but he could feel its warmth as something settled into his lap. He felt for it, finding what seemed to be a large egg, and found himself in awe of the gentle feeling that it gave him, not completely dissimilar to the comfort of Melodia's strange music.

Whatever it was that he was holding, it calmed him. Kyoya finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Kyoya was released from the hospital a week later. His bandages no longer covered his eyes, but his sight was a little bleary sometimes, so he didn't leave the house much except to pick up Kakeru with Melodia. Her own injury had her on crutches for the time being, but that didn't stop her from keeping up with the boys.

Besides that, most of his time went to training. Day and night, he focused on growing stronger, both with his own body and with Leone. Sometimes he let Kakeru join him, understanding that his brother felt responsible for the accident and wanting to help him grow past that. Often, Melodia was there as well, with her Hades Lynx. It was her that helped him identify what had appeared in the hospital room that night.

It was an egg, which he knew already, but didn't look much like a normal one. Its larger size, for one thing, set it apart, as did the green color it showed. Two matching patterns of gold decorated opposite sides – a lion. It hadn't changed in the week since it had appeared, but it still gave him a comforting warmth that kept him going.

According to Melodia, the egg would hatch into a guardian spirit of sorts. She couldn't say more than that – she had only heard a couple of stories from her mother, but she fully believed them. She promised Kyoya that the spirit inside this egg would help him somehow.

It didn't prepare him, though, for the call they received from Kakeru's school two weeks after coming home from the hospital.

His brother had vanished.

He'd been walking through the hall with his classmates, heading for his first class. With a flash of orange light, they claimed, he was gone.

It was hard for Kyoya to be strong when the things he wanted to be strong for were gone.

He didn't lash out like he had at Kimiko's disappearance. Instead, he locked himself away, ignoring everyone and falling into a depressed silence. This was all too familiar – the vanishing, the message, the mention of a strange orange light. They'd all been a part of Kimiko's disappearance as well.

Kyoya felt lost. Was he going to be next? Would he follow the pattern, disappear with nothing but an orange flash?

He had no leads. No clues. Once again, he had failed his family, and he felt weaker than ever before. Training started to feel empty – why train when there was nothing to fight for? He almost gave it up. He would have, too, if not for the egg – for some reason, it gave him hope.

* * *

A week later, Kyoya fully removed his bandages. He was left with a scar under each eye, but his sight had healed and the wounds were no longer tender. After a long time in front of the mirror, remembering the accident, remembering his promise to protect his family, he finally left his room.

He found Melodia in the garden, practicing with Lynx. She didn't notice him at first, so he took the time to watch. Lynx was faster, now, than it had been before they left America. Its attacks seemed sharper, more precise.

Kyoya thought of Leone, sitting in his room. Their power had grown as well in recent weeks – he could probably defeat anyone in the gym by now. Maybe even Melodia.

A dull feeling thudded through. Battling Melodia...it just didn't appeal to him anymore. In America, she was one of the only bladers in the gym who could give him a challenge. Now, though...

He'd rather she continued to beat him. He'd rather that she grew stronger, strong enough to be able to fight against whatever was taking their family.

Eight weeks it had been, now, since Kimiko's disappearance. Seven since he'd been home, and one since Kakeru had vanished.

He couldn't talk to the staff about it, and he doubted his father had the time to listen – which bothered him, but he was used to it, knowing that his job kept him exceptionally busy.

He'd tried contacting Megumi, before the accident. She hadn't answered his emails or phone calls, and he didn't know where she was staying. He worried that maybe she, too, had been grabbed by that damned orange light. Did it care who it took? Was it only after his family, or would anyone do?

What was its purpose? What was its goal? Why couldn't he figure it out?

He heard the sound of metal clacking together and blinked, realizing that Melodia had called Lynx back to her hand. She'd noticed him, and didn't seem surprised.

The two bladers looked at each other silently. Kyoya could tell she was staring at his scars. He wondered if she'd gotten one as well, from that gash on her leg the doctors had mentioned.

Her gaze dropped a bit. He didn't have to guess what she was looking at now – the egg. He held it in his hand, his index finger tapping at it every moment or so.

When her gaze rose, she stuffed Lynx into her pocket. She walked over to him – no limp, that was good – and didn't give him any chance to step away from the hug she enveloped him in.

The silence continued throughout this. She didn't say anything, just stood there and held him as if catching up on hugs for the past week. Kyoya didn't have the energy to push her away or to hug back, so he stood there and just let his head rest on her shoulder.

Melodia was all he had left. His two biological siblings had been taken. She could be next, or maybe him. He had no way of knowing.

He felt himself twitch. He found the energy to hug back. He couldn't lose her. Whether or not they were biologically related didn't matter. Whether or not she had her birth family didn't matter. Melodia was his sister, and he would fight tooth and nail, he'd collect a hundred more scars and face the gods themselves to keep her safe.

“I was really hoping today was when you came outside,” Melodia said quietly. “I've been waiting the past three days. It's really hard to tell what time it is in a vision when the room it's showing me is pitch black, y'know?”

Kyoya just sighed. A vision – of course. She hadn't been surprised because she'd already foreseen his decision to leave his room. For her, it was just a matter of waiting. And worrying, probably.

“Does your face hurt? The scars, I mean?” She pulled away slightly, just enough that they could look at each other. She still held his arms, loosely, keeping the two of them connected.

He shook his head. They did hurt, a bit, but she didn't need to know that.

“I asked my mom to tell me more about the egg spirits.” Melodia smiled slightly. “Turns out it's supposed to be some kind of living representation of some 'wish of your heart'. Their purpose is to help you make that wish come true.”

_Wish of my heart?_

Melodia stepped back, and Kyoya could hear music building up from nowhere again. Why she was deciding to sing now, he didn't know, but he didn't see any point in stopping her. He'd listen, and maybe her 'music magic' would shed some light on what he needed to do.

_"Ikiterukagiri ishikoro darakedemo_  
_Ookinakoede ganbare! Ganbare!_  
_Tomarukotonai uchirano jinsei_  
_Dakara owaranai utawo utaou"_

_"Wagamichiwo tsukisusume_  
_Detaramena KYARAdemoii_  
_Rokudenashidemo aishiterunda MAI DAARIN"_

_"Bakayaro! Honto no jibun_  
_Iitaikoto itteyare_  
_Hamidashitekundayo chikazuitekundayo yumeni_  
_Konoyaro! Honto no jibun_  
_Detekoiyo kakuretenaide OH YEAH imasugu"_

The song was cheerful, to a point. Uplifting. Melodia wasn't wasting her time being sad or expressing fear. If anything, she seemed to be cheering him on. Giving him strength.

Kyoya would not let her down.

He needed some time to think, though.

* * *

Three days later, he had made his choice.

He met Melodia at the edge of town. She'd gotten there before him, and was now 'helping' him make sure he had everything he could possibly need for his journey packed up properly. She added some cookies and several muffins. It was ridiculous.

He'd be lying, though, if he said he didn't appreciate it.

“I kinda thought it would come to this,” she admitted. “Didn't need a vision to see this coming. Be careful, okay? Don't be too proud to call if you need anything. Even just a song.”

He nodded. He had intentions to stay in touch. If he didn't, she'd come after him. “I won't be coming back until I find them.”

Her worried smile spoke for her. He didn't know what to say, how to reassure her, so he just clapped her on the shoulder and said, “Keep training. Get stronger. Hold down the fort while I'm gone.”

“...I will.”

He let her give one last hug. After that, he was off.

Melodia could take care of herself. Her family had its own kind of magic, and it had done a damn good job of protecting her in the past. Her visions, her strange way of telling when someone was hiding their fears, the way she could sense if anything was off about her surroundings. Not to mention she was a blader with power he'd never seen. He wasn't as worried for her as he once was, when he'd stopped to think about all the ways she had to fight back. He had a strangely good feeling that her good luck streak would keep her safe. He couldn't explain it... He just knew she'd be okay.

He knew that she would follow her own path, find her own answers, and would keep up the search for their siblings on her own. Meanwhile, he'd take to the streets, travel through cities and research everywhere he could. There had to be someone out there that knew about a laughing orange light.

Melodia thought it might be a spirit, like the ones who had taken her from her birth family all those years ago. He couldn't deny the possibility.

He wondered if Megumi had come to the same conclusion, wherever she was now. Maybe he'd run into her. Honestly, he'd love to give her a piece of his mind for dropping contact like she did.

He had to believe she hadn't been taken, too.

Before he lost sight of the town, Kyoya looked back. He imagined Melodia was probably still standing where he'd left her, or maybe was on her way home to do research.

Part of him knew she was someone that didn't need protecting. Another part didn't care – she was still his family. She was just as important to him as his biological siblings, and that would never change.

It was time, nonetheless, that he part ways with her. He would not stop until he had found at least a lead on Kimiko and Kakeru. No matter how long that took.

He would not fail.

* * *

As he stopped a few hours later to eat one of Melodia's muffins, Kyoya watched as his egg levitated out of his jacket pocket and cracked open.

The small, human-like creature inside had wild golden-orange hair swept to the side and piercing orange eyes. Over its pale green shirt and gray pants it wore a long, sleeveless black jacket, with a pattern of green flame along the bottom. Around its neck and both wrists was dark green fluff, and on its feet were brown shoes.

“Let's not waste any time!” the creature – spirit? – announced immediately. “The name's Fang, and together we're gonna fight! You with me?”

Kyoya found himself smirking. “You better be ready to keep that promise, Fang.”

He and Fang, it seemed, were now in this together.

* * *

A year and a half later, Kyoya had amassed himself a following of bladers. There were a few dozen in all, all willing to listen to his orders without question – he wasn't really sure why, but maybe the ease he had in defeating them had something to do with it.

For around three months, Melodia had dropped contact. When she finally called again, she revealed that she had been 'somewhere else' – and more concerning, she had no recollection of the events. She claimed to be unharmed, but also admitted that she missed him. The two had a brief meeting, reconnecting and sharing a battle, which Kyoya emerged from the victor. When the two parted ways, he was only more determined to find out what had happened to the other two Tategami children.

Kyoya spent many hours searching the nearby cities, trying to find any mention of strange orange lights or missing people. Every time, he came up with nothing. Often, Kyoya would leave the others to find someone who didn't know who he was, who didn't have a single fear, who would battle him with everything and not expect the fate that awaited them. He needed a way to vent, to calm down, and battles were the only thing that seemed to help anymore.

It was on one of these days that Kyoya met Benkei Hanawa.

He was a big guy, purple hair, and an attitude that wouldn't stop. He was so sure he'd beat Kyoya that the boy figured he would entertain him – if nothing else, it would be a fun few seconds.

The battle went just as he'd expected – while Benkei had power, he couldn't withstand Leone. It lasted about ten seconds or so, and Kyoya enjoyed the pure shock on the big guy's face.

“Wait! One more time!”

Kyoya glanced at Fang, ever present at his side, and the Character nodded eagerly, knowing that Kyoya would easily crush him again. And he did – again and again and again, because Benkei just _would not give up,_ even with the battles continuously ripping at his clothes and body. Even when Benkei collapsed, he insisted he wasn't done. Kyoya had to admire that – this guy was as stubborn as a bull, which Benkei took as a compliment.

Kyoya found himself battling against Benkei for at least an hour, defeating him every time but getting challenged again after every match. The sun was starting to set by the time Benkei finally quit, though not without gaining a bit of respect from Kyoya at his refusal to give up when it was clearly hopeless.

It wasn't as if Kyoya would ever say it out loud, even to Fang, but Benkei's stubbornness reminded him a little bit of himself, and of his family. That was why, when Benkei announced that he had become Kyoya's “biggest fan”, and that he would then follow Kyoya even if the green haired blader refused it, he was secretly touched.

Benkei helped him gather even more bladers than before, and someone ended up naming them – the Face Hunters.

Kyoya found himself quite proud of his following – bladers who wouldn't quit, who would follow his commands without hesitation. Though none of them came anywhere close to challenging his power, Kyoya still knew they could become useful, so he allowed them to stick around.

* * *

Then, Gingka arrived.

Gingka Hagane. At long last, someone had appeared that could truly challenge him. Kyoya set his sights on crushing the Pegasus blader, which led to his training under Doji.

Without the Face Hunters around, Kyoya was left to train. It was difficult, dangerous, and in Wolf Canyon he thought it might be his end.

But one look at Fang had spurred his second wind. It reminded him of why he fought. Why he'd left home and was here now.

For Kimiko and Kakeru. That was his goal. To find them. And to do that, he had to survive.

It was the thought of his siblings that led him through Wolf Canyon. The memory of Kakeru's diligence to train that rushed through him during his fight with Gingka. The peace of Kimiko's gentle nature that allowed him to accept the aid of Gingka's friends in the aftermath.

He had disbanded the Face Hunters upon his return from Doji's training, but Benkei remained, that damn bull.

And so it was with Benkei, Gingka, and the others that Kyoya continued his journey. His new goal – to create a world that would be fitting for his siblings to return to.

Kyoya would never surrender against Gingka. As his father had before him, Kyoya had chosen his greatest rival, the one who would make him surpass his limits in order to reach what he was striving for.

Throughout everything – the Dark Nebula, Battle Bladers, and the world tournament – Kyoya remembered. He was driven by his wish, his vow to find his siblings and become better to them than he had been.

Kyoya was grateful that he wasn't alone. Rock Leone, Fang, and even Benkei – they would follow him, no matter what. Melodia would always be there in the background, cheering him on.

One day, he would find his siblings. And there would be hell to pay for those that had taken them away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Honto No Jibun" from Shugo Chara
> 
> This story and everything associated with it can be found on our deviantART accounts and Tumblr account.
> 
> My friend's account, where story related drawings are all going to be: http://among-the-stars-3.deviantart.com/  
> Our Tumblr, because we had nothing better to do with our time: http://mooniversenews.tumblr.com/


	3. Merfolk Lore 01: The first life of Aqua Regina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meg: hey I decided that during the hiatus I'm gonna dig out some world lore covered in the story and separate it into lil chapters for this. That way you still have stuff to read every once in a while.
> 
> This lore is from Crystal Moon chapter 11

The ancient Manaphy is said to have created merfolk, and their sister people, the Panthalassa. All the gods who watched over waters took the young tribes into their care, sharing the responsibility. In time, however, their duties grew too numerous, and it was decided that they needed another to guide the two peoples. Manaphy called upon the aid of Lugia and Kyogre, and the three asked of the Creators to bless them with an apprentice.

It's unknown which of the Creators gave their power and blessing, but a human-like child was brought into the world. Manaphy raised and tutored her in water magics, while Lugia taught her the songs of the ocean, and Kyogre guided her to care for all marine life. The three gods named the child Regina.

Regina was still young by the standards of gods when she took the mantle of leader to merfolk and Panthalassa. It is said that both people were wary at first, but grew to accept her duties. She led a prosperous era, coached by her parents and teachers, and was overjoyed at the support her new people gave her.

Alas, the peace was not meant to be. A darkness overtook the Panthalassa people, urging them to attack. Balance was lost as they warred with the unprepared merfolk, seeking conquest of the sea. As her parents struggled with the damage to their oceans, Regina escaped their watch to face the corrupt people on her own. She tried to reason with them, to heal them, but all her magic was nothing against their combined might. She was too young, and the darkness within them had taken complete hold of their souls. Though she wanted desperately to save them, she knew that too much damage had been caused, too many merfolk lost. Without the voices of her parents, Regina was forced to make the decision on her own.

Calling upon the mighty powers she had been taught all her life, Regina systematically depleted their powers, gathered the corrupted, and brought divine destruction upon all Panthalassa. Tired, mournful, and weakened, Regina could not be comforted by the merfolk she had saved, and begged her parents to let her rest. The war had taken a great toll on her heart, and the three gods took pity on her. Each sacrificed a small portion of their power to grant her the gift of the divine, the ability to pass on their memories to a new life. Regina wept with relief, and gave all she had left to heal those who had been hurt before she entered her second life. Her memories were sealed away within the underwater castle she called home, waiting for the day she was ready to receive them. In honor of her loving sacrifice, the three gods raised her anew, granting her the full title of an ocean ruler. It is during her second life that she became the goddess known today...Aqua Regina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contact us for suggestions on Memory Moon chapters: Character history, past events, what ifs, world lore, etc. Anon is always open and credit will be given if requested.
> 
> Our DeviantArt, where story related drawings and full profiles are all going to be: http://among-the-stars-3.deviantart.com/  
> ADDITIONALLY, MEL'S ACCOUNT IS GOOD: https://lunarcentric.deviantart.com/  
> Our Tumblr, where updates on writing progress and such go: http://mooniversenews.tumblr.com/


	4. Merfolk Lore 02: The Mermaid Princesses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meg: Still in technical hiatus but here's another mini
> 
> This lore is from Crystal Moon chapter 11

**How the first mermaid princesses came to be**

It was Aqua Regina's second life. Decades after her rebirth, after receiving the memories of her first incarnation. She wanted the merfolk to have a way to defend themselves, so that a catastrophe like the Panthalassa attack would never happen again. With guidance from her three parents, she took her case to the Lord of Space, the dragon Palkia, and asked for pearls to grant to the people. Due to her duties done in both lives up to that point, Palkia deemed her worthy of the gift, and granted her eight pearls that could be blessed with her power.

Aqua Regina took the pearls to her castle and filled them with her ocean magic. Music, love, and care – each aspect equal to the other. She held a festival to gather all merfolk, and during the celebrations she chose eight girls who held strong hearts and unwavering loyalty to their fellow mer. She soon held another gathering, giving these chosen mermaids the eight pearls, and decreed them to be the guardians of the people. She began training them in combat, spells, and music. They bonded with their pearls and learned magics that are now lost to the people.

Her power spent over the creation of the pearl blessings, and the teachings of the guardians, Aqua Regina's second life ended peacefully. The guardians scattered across the waters to better protect the people, and around where they settled grew the kingdoms of today.

* * *

**The Eighth Pearl**

Aqua Regina did not manage to destroy all the Panthalassa. A few escaped, and their long life spans let them hide and plan their revenge. When these survivors made their move, the new princesses rose up to protect their people and their goddess.

However, one kingdom was lost in the surprise attack – the kingdom of the Red merfolk. When the battle was over, there was no way to salvage it. The Red princess, with no people to lead, chose to use all of her power to heal the oceans and strengthen the other seven pearls. She sacrificed herself to give the others the power they needed to keep their own kingdoms from falling like hers.

When Aqua Regina learned of the actions of her eighth princess, she vowed not to replace her, so that her legacy would properly live on. She took the power the Red princess had given to the others and guided it, letting those seven pearls evolve into what would later be called Pearl Tears, which is what the princesses carry today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contact us for suggestions on Memory Moon chapters: Character history, past events, what ifs, world lore, etc. Anon is always open and credit will be given if requested.
> 
> Our DeviantArt, where story related drawings and full profiles are all going to be: http://among-the-stars-3.deviantart.com/  
> ADDITIONALLY, MEL'S ACCOUNT IS GOOD: https://lunarcentric.deviantart.com/  
> Our Tumblr, where updates on writing progress and such go: http://mooniversenews.tumblr.com/


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